Albany in Dougherty County, Georgia — The American South (South Atlantic)
St. Teresa's Catholic Church
St. Teresa's Church was constructed in 1859-1860, on land given by Col. Nelson Tift, founder of Albany. It is the oldest church building in Albany and the oldest Catholic church in Georgia still in use. The bricks were handmade by laborers on the Barbour Plantation near Newton. Before the interior was completed, work was halted by the outbreak of the Civil War, and for a time the church was used as a hospital for wounded Confederate soldiers.
The church was completed after the war and, although used for Catholic worship services, it was not dedicated until 1882. On November 19 of that year, The Most Rev. William H. Gross, D. D., Bishop of Savannah, presided at the ceremony dedicating the church under the patronage of St. Teresa of Avila. The date chosen coincided with the fiftieth wedding anniversary of John Valentine and Elizabeth Schmidt Mock, pioneer settlers of the community.
The interior of the church was remodeled in 1902. The altar, pews and stained glass windows date from that time. Restoration of the church was completed in 1980.
St. Teresa's Church is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and in 1980 was recognized for Outstanding Restoration by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.
Erected 1982.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Churches & Religion • Settlements & Settlers • War, US Civil. A significant historical year for this entry is 1859.
Location. 31° 34.996′ N, 84° 9.306′ W. Marker is in Albany, Georgia, in Dougherty County. Marker is on West Residence Avenue east of North Jefferson Street (Georgia Route 91), on the left when traveling east. Marker is located beside the sidewalk, directly in front of the church. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 313 West Residence Avenue, Albany GA 31701, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Carnegie Library (approx. 0.3 miles away); De Soto in Georgia (approx. 0.3 miles away); Albany Municipal Auditorium (approx. 0.3 miles away); Union Station Depot (approx. 0.4 miles away); Colonel Nelson Tift (approx. 0.4 miles away); Dougherty County (approx. 0.4 miles away); Freedom Alley and City Hall (approx. 0.4 miles away); British Royal Air Force Memorial (approx. 0.4 miles away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Albany.
Regarding St. Teresa's Catholic Church. National Register of Historic Places #75000589.
Also see . . . Old St. Teresa Catholic Church. Wikipedia entry:
A new larger parish church was dedicated into use in 1958, but the downtown location was kept as a second church. A Mass is conducted every Wednesday at noon at the Residence Avenue address. (Submitted on May 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on July 5, 2021. It was originally submitted on May 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 304 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on May 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. 3. submitted on July 5, 2021, by Larry Gertner of New York, New York. 4, 5. submitted on May 6, 2021, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.